Curve forming and riveting method

ABSTRACT

A curve forming and riveting method includes steps of providing a sheet metal member, a riveting member and a forming mold, wherein the forming mold has a curve forming portion; attaching the sheet metal member to the curve forming portion; assembling the riveting member to the sheet metal member; and riveting the riveting member and the sheet metal member together by the curve forming portion and forming a curve contour on the sheet metal member corresponding to the curve forming portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a curve forming and riveting method and, more particularly, to a curve forming and riveting method capable of increasing strength and decreasing manufacturing cost.

2. Description of the Prior Art

So far a casing of various electronic devices is made of a sheet metal member. In general, since the sheet metal member is thin, the prior art forms an embossed structure on the sheet metal member first and then presses the embossed structure back, so as to increase strength of the sheet metal member. Furthermore, for different appearance designs, the prior art uses a curve forming mold to form a curve contour on the sheet metal member after reinforcing the sheet metal member. Then, the prior art measures the curve contour to determine whether the curve contour conforms to a standard value. If the curve contour does not conform to the standard value, the prior art uses a new sheet metal member to repeat the aforesaid steps. If the curve contour conforms to the standard value, the prior art rivets other components and the sheet metal member together. After the riveting process, the prior art measures the curve contour again to determine whether the curve contour conforms to the standard value. If the curve contour does not conform to the standard value, the prior art uses another new sheet metal member to repeat the aforesaid steps. If the curve contour conforms to the standard value, the prior art puts the sheet metal member in storage or assembles the sheet metal member with other components.

However, the aforesaid steps of forming the embossed structure and pressing the embossed structure back will form an indentation on the surface of the sheet metal member, such that the appearance of the product will be affected. Furthermore, if the sheet metal member needs to be reinforced by more processes, the mold design gets more complicated, such that the mold cost will increase. Still further, the more the working stations are, the higher the manpower and machine cost is. Moreover, the prior art forms the curve contour on the sheet metal member first and then rivets other components on the sheet metal member, such that the curve contour of the sheet metal member will deviate from the standard value during the riveting process. Consequently, the sheet metal member must be discarded, such that the material is wasted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a curve forming and riveting method capable of increasing strength and decreasing manufacturing cost, so as to solve the aforesaid problems.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a curve forming and riveting method comprises steps of providing a sheet metal member, a riveting member and a forming mold, wherein the forming mold has a curve forming portion; attaching the sheet metal member to the curve forming portion; assembling the riveting member to the sheet metal member; and riveting the riveting member and the sheet metal member together by the curve forming portion and forming a curve contour on the sheet metal member corresponding to the curve forming portion.

As mentioned in the above, the invention uses the forming mold with the curve forming portion to rivet the riveting member and the sheet metal member together and form the curve contour on the sheet metal member corresponding to the curve forming portion simultaneously. The connection strength and structural stability between the riveting member and the sheet metal member will increase while riveting the riveting member and the sheet metal member together. Since the curve contour is formed during the riveting process, the curve contour can be formed more efficiently and stably through the connection strength between the riveting member and the sheet metal member. Furthermore, compared to the prior art, the invention simplifies more manufacturing steps, such that the invention can decrease the manufacturing cost effectively.

These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a curve forming and riveting method according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating a sheet metal member, a riveting member and a forming mold according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating the sheet metal member attached to the curve forming portion of the forming mold and the riveting member assembled to the sheet metal member.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating the riveting member and the sheet metal member riveted together by the curve forming portion and the curve contour formed on the sheet metal member corresponding to the curve forming portion.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating a sheet metal member, a riveting member and a forming mold according to another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a curve forming and riveting method according to an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating a sheet metal member 10, a riveting member 12 and a forming mold 14 according to an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating the sheet metal member 10 attached to the curve forming portion 140 of the forming mold 14 and the riveting member 12 assembled to the sheet metal member 10, and FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating the riveting member 12 and the sheet metal member 10 riveted together by the curve forming portion 140 and the curve contour 100 formed on the sheet metal member 10 corresponding to the curve forming portion 140.

The curve forming and riveting method of the invention uses a forming mold with a curve forming portion to rivet a riveting member and a sheet metal member together and form a curve contour on the sheet metal member corresponding to the curve forming portion simultaneously. First of all, step S10 shown in FIG. 1 is performed to provide a sheet metal member 10, a riveting member 12 and a forming mold 14, wherein the forming mold 14 has a curve forming portion 140, as shown in FIG. 2. In this embodiment, the sheet metal member 10 may be, but not limited to, a plane sheet metal material.

Then, step S12 shown in FIG. 1 is performed to attach the sheet metal member 10 to the curve forming portion 140 of the forming mold 14, as shown in FIG. 3. Before attaching the sheet metal member 10 to the curve forming portion 140 of the forming mold 14, the invention may perform a characteristic forming process for the sheet metal member 10. For example, the aforesaid characteristic forming process may be to bend the sheet metal member 10 or cut material from the sheet metal member 10. It should be noted that the invention may determine whether to perform the aforesaid characteristic forming process according to practical applications.

Then, step S14 shown in FIG. 1 is performed to assemble the riveting member 12 to the sheet metal member 10, as shown in FIG. 3. In this embodiment, the riveting member 12 may be any component used for riveting the sheet metal member 10, so the riveting member 12 is not limited to a specific component.

Then, step S16 shown in FIG. 1 is performed to rivet the riveting member 12 and the sheet metal member 10 together by the curve forming portion 140 of the forming mold 14 and form a curve contour 100 on the sheet metal member 10 corresponding to the curve forming portion 140 of the forming mold 14, as shown in FIG. 4. In this embodiment, the invention may rivet the riveting member 12 and the sheet metal member 10 together from a normal direction of the curve forming portion 140. Furthermore, the curve forming portion 140 of the forming mold 14 is a protrusion, such that the curve contour 100 of the sheet metal member 10 corresponding to the curve forming portion 140 is a recess. In practical applications, the invention may rivet the riveting member 12 and the sheet metal member 10 together by a punching process.

Then, step S18 shown in FIG. 1 is performed to measure the curve contour 100 of the sheet metal member 10 to determine whether the curve contour 100 of the sheet metal member 10 conforms to a standard value.

If the curve contour 100 of the sheet metal member 10 does not conform to the standard value, step S20 shown in FIG. 1 is performed to adjust a height of the curve forming portion 140 of the forming mold 14. Then, the invention uses another sheet metal member to repeat the aforesaid steps S10-S18.

If the curve contour 100 of the sheet metal member 10 conforms to the standard value, step S22 shown in FIG. 1 is performed to put the sheet metal member 10 in storage or assemble the sheet metal member 10 with other components.

A practical application regarding how to determine whether the curve contour 100 of the sheet metal member 10 conforms to the standard value is depicted below. For example, the invention may measure a deformation of the curve contour 100 of the sheet metal member 10 and determine whether the deformation of the curve contour 100 of the sheet metal member 10 is within an allowable range, so as to determine whether the curve contour 100 of the sheet metal member 10 conforms to the standard value. If the deformation of the curve contour 100 of the sheet metal member 10 is within the allowable range, the invention determines that the curve contour 100 of the sheet metal member 10 conforms to the standard value. On the other hand, if the deformation of the curve contour 100 of the sheet metal member 10 is not within the allowable range, the invention determines that the curve contour 100 of the sheet metal member 10 does not conform to the standard value. It should be noted that the aforesaid allowable range may be determined according to practical applications.

Referring to FIG. 5, FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating a sheet metal member 10, a riveting member 12 and a forming mold 14′ according to another embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the curve forming portion 140′ of the forming mold 14′ is a recess, such that the curve contour 100 of the sheet metal member 10 corresponding to the curve forming portion 140′ is a protrusion. In other words, the invention can be applied to design the curve contour 100 of the sheet metal member 10 to be a recess or a protrusion.

As mentioned in the above, the invention uses the forming mold with the curve forming portion to rivet the riveting member and the sheet metal member together and form the curve contour on the sheet metal member corresponding to the curve forming portion simultaneously. The connection strength and structural stability between the riveting member and the sheet metal member will increase while riveting the riveting member and the sheet metal member together. Since the curve contour is formed during the riveting process, the curve contour can be formed more efficiently and stably through the connection strength between the riveting member and the sheet metal member. Furthermore, compared to the prior art, the invention simplifies more manufacturing steps, such that the invention can decrease the manufacturing cost effectively.

Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A curve forming and riveting method comprising steps of: providing a sheet metal member, a riveting member and a forming mold, wherein the forming mold has a curve forming portion; attaching the sheet metal member to the curve forming portion; assembling the riveting member to the sheet metal member; and riveting the riveting member and the sheet metal member together by the curve forming portion and forming a curve contour on the sheet metal member corresponding to the curve forming portion.
 2. The curve forming and riveting method of claim 1, further comprising step of: riveting the riveting member and the sheet metal member together from a normal direction of the curve forming portion.
 3. The curve forming and riveting method of claim 1, further comprising step of: before attaching the sheet metal member to the curve forming portion, performing a characteristic forming process for the sheet metal member.
 4. The curve forming and riveting method of claim 3, wherein the characteristic forming process is to bend the sheet metal member or cut material from the sheet metal member.
 5. The curve forming and riveting method of claim 1, further comprising steps of: measuring the curve contour to determine whether the curve contour conforms to a standard value; and adjusting a height of the curve forming portion if the curve contour does not conform to the standard value.
 6. The curve forming and riveting method of claim 5, further comprising step of: measuring a deformation of the curve contour and determining whether the deformation is within an allowable range, so as to determine whether the curve contour conforms to the standard value.
 7. The curve forming and riveting method of claim 1, wherein the curve forming portion is a protrusion, such that the curve contour corresponding to the curve forming portion is a recess.
 8. The curve forming and riveting method of claim 1, wherein the curve forming portion is a recess, such that the curve contour corresponding to the curve forming portion is a protrusion. 